Experiment #1
James Watson, Maurice Wilkins, and Francis Crick joined together for the finding of the structure of DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin used X-ray diffraction to study DNA through its images, and it was on April 1953 that they finally published the discovery of the structure of DNA; they discovered how the hereditary information is coded on the DNA as well as its replication. Watson found out from Franklin’s lectures that DNA existed in two forms of ways, which depended on the humidity of the air. As Franklin studied the x-rays diffractions, she found that the higher humidity form of DNA had characteristics of a helix. Watson and Crick proposed that it was made of two chains of nucleotides, both going in opposite directions; they showed that each of the strands was a template of each other. They also concluded that during the division of the cell, the strands separate and another half is constructed on each strand exactly the same as the old one.
Experiment #2
Fred Griffith was the first to prove that protein is not genetic material as ...
Many things have impacted both the Science and Medical fields of study. Electrophoresis and DNA Sequencing are two of these things. Together they have simultaneously impacted both of these fields. On one hand, there is Electrophoresis. Electrophoresis is a specific method of separating molecules by their size through the application of an electric field. It causes molecules to migrate at a rate and distance dependent on their size. On the other hand, there is DNA Sequencing. DNA Sequencing is a technique used to determine the exact sequence of bases
The following is a review of the book, The Double Helix, by James D. Watson that was published in 1968. Here the Norton Critical Edition will be used for page numbering and insights for this review, which was edited by Gunter S. Stent and published in 1980. The Double Helix is a personal recollection of the period of time when the structure of DNA was discovered. James D. Watson (Watson) along with Francis Crick (Crick) were the two scientists who published a paper in 1953 which purposed a structure for DNA. For the most part their structure has stood the test of time, and since that time period many people have wanted to know details of how they discovered DNA’s structure (pp. 3). Therefore Watson’s purpose in writing the book was to describe his personal view of the events that lead to discovery of DNA’s three-dimensional structure, when they happened in 1952-53. He is well qualified to give an account of these things, for he was there in the middle of everything; he was one of the main players. In order to describe the events, apart from his sharp memory, Watson used letters he wrote to his family to help him remember dates and details, as well as suggestions from his associates who reviewed his manuscript. In the following paragraphs I will summarize the text, and follow that with my own review of
In 1953, Francis Crick bragged to his fellow colleagues from the Cavendish Laboratory (Cambridge), claiming that he and his American partner, James Watson, had “discovered the secret of life.” The claim, made in a bar over a glass of alcohol, was not unusual from the pair. In fact, workers in the Cavendish often found Crick to be tactless, arrogant and noisy; one even went so far as to comment that he had “never seen Francis Crick in a modest mood.” Yet, a little over a century later, it is undeniable that Crick’s statement is true. Using information derived from a number of other scientists, primarily Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins of King’s College, the duo solved a puzzle that had plagued biologists for decades; they created a three-dimensional model of the DNA helix.
The book Rosalind Franklin and DNA is a biography of Rosalind Franklin written by a British journalist and close friend of hers, Anne Sayre to reveal the true personality of Rosalind Franklin in contradiction to the fallacious character portrayed by James Watson in his personal account of The Double Helix. This book was undertaken to refute Franklin’s distorted portrait from abnormal feminist into rational, perfectionist and talented ‘women’ scientist. She begins by introducing her strong background, curious childhood, dedicated education, generous nature and most importantly how she was brought up in a favorable environment of distinctive Angelo-Jewish family, who identified and cultivated her talents and developed her in a person with full capacity for commitment. In this book, despite admiring the geniuses of Watson in depicting and picking out small information, connecting points and the kind of abilities he possessed was perfectly factitive with Crick that Rosalind and Gosling lacked however, she constantly tries to put the Rosalind’s side of story in picture which she believes was minimized in The Double Helix by Watson and correct her character that distorted in public eye.
DNA is composed of three major factors: a five-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and nitrogenous bases (Biology pg. 259-260). The first major factor is the five-carbon sugar, which is a sugar molecule known as deoxyribose. The second major factor is phosphate group, which acts as a type of backbone and allows the DNA, as well as RNA, the opportunity to form the long chains of nucleotides “by the process of dehydration synthesis (Biology pg. 260).” The third main component is the nitrogenous bases, which can be a purine group, or a two-ringed structure; or a pyrimidine, which is a single-ringed structure.
When you are building something you would most likely use a blueprint. A blueprint is the instructions to help the builder build his creation. DNA is like a blueprint for your body. DNA is like instructions to help you grow, survive, and reproduce. And thanks to James D. Watson’s discovery it revealed the understanding of living things in the means of structure and interaction molecules. Watson’s said in quote “It is necessary to be slightly underemployed if you want to do something significant.” James D. Watson was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 6, 1928. Watson is an intelligent and gifted man and helped discover the structure of DNA; his scientific knowledge as an American molecular biologist, zoologist, and geneticist attributed to his success
The discovery of DNA is quite mind-blowing. Rumor has it that James Watson and Francis Crick discovered DNA, but they actually did not. It all started in 1869, with a well-known German biochemist named Friedrich Miescher who isolated, analyzed, and recognized a distinctive macromolecule known as DNA. Years later, on the morning of February 28, 1953, Watson and Crick came into the picture, as they announced that they “had discovered the secret of life” (Markel 2013). Their discovery of the double helix made them publish a paper in the 1953 issue of Nature, describing the structure of DNA, which resulted them to receive the Nobel Prize in 1962.
Chemistry dictates the structure of DNA. DNA is a polymer of monomers called nucleic acids. These are made of a nitrogenous base, a phosphate group and a sugar. It is the negative charge on the phosphate group that makes DNA an acid. There are 4 different bases: adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine. In groups of three, these four bases can code for any protein coded for in an organism’s genome. Two strands of nucleic acids stack on top of each other in a double helix. The backbone of the nucleic acids consists of the interaction between phosphate groups and the hydroxide groups of nucleic acids. These are held together by covalent bonds called phosphodiester bonds. The helix itself is held together by hydrogen bonds. Although h...
James D. Watson is a molecular biologist, geneticist and zoologist. He is well known as one of the two men who discovered DNA. The other man who helped discover DNA is Francis Crick. Francis is a biologist, neurologist and a biophysicist.
"The discovery of the structure by Crick and Watson, with all its biological implications, has been one of the major scientific events of this century." (Bragg, The Double Helix, p1) In the story of The Double Helix, James Watson tells of the road that led to the discovery of life's basic building block-DNA. This autobiography gives insight into science and the workings within a professional research laboratory that few members of society will ever be able to experience. It also gives the reader an idea of the reality of life for one scientist and how he struggled with the problem of DNA. However, the author's style is marked by his lack of objectivity and inclusion of many biased opinions and personal prejudices.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is a self-replicating molecule or material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent in chromosomes. It encodes the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms and many viruses. Simply put, DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce. The discovery and use of DNA has seen many changes and made great progress over many years. James Watson was a pioneer molecular biologist who is credited, along with Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, with discovering the double helix structure of the DNA molecule. The three won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962 for their work (Bagley, 2013). Scientist use the term “double helix” to describe DNA’s winding, two-stranded chemical structure. This shape looks much like a twisted ladder and gives the DNA the power to pass along biological instructions with great precision.
The Double Helix tells a tale of fierce competition, perseverance, and scientific innovation as we follow James Watson and his cohort Francis Crick on their quest to discover the secret to life, the structure of deoxyribonucleic acid. Although already fascinated with DNA, Watson struggled with finding chemistry exciting enough to learn it in depth. He had studied birds in college and thereby managed to avoid any formal chemistry or physics courses. As he later pursued a PhD in biochemistry, he realized he could put it off no longer and attempted to learn organic chemistry at Indiana University. However, after a mishap in the lab, he was encouraged instead to study nucleic acid chemistry with Herman Kalckar in Copenhagen. There, his mind strayed from his work and he began doing unauthorized research in the lab of Ole Maaløe, studying phages. Herman stopped teaching Watson after going through a divorce with his wife, and sent Watson off to a scientific conference in Naples. Although he was bored by many of the lectures, Maurice Wilkins’s talk about X-ray diffraction fascinated Watson. He was struck by an X-ray diffraction picture of DNA that Maurice presented and was determined to study the acid. He later got to know more about Maurice’s colleague, Rosalind Franklin, who was proud, stubborn, and very difficult to work with. Watson greatly admired the lecture given by the renowned Linus Pauling, who had discovered the structure of the alpha-helix and was thought of as the leader in DNA research in the scientific world.
He tried to find the transforming principle that Griffith had discovered. To do this Avery performed two experiments. His first experiment was repeating Griffith’s last experiment with the mouse but instead uses enzymes to break down molecules like proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates. This resulted with the transformation still happening. Avery’s second experiment was to use enzymes to break down DNA instead. From this experiment he concluded that when the DNA was broken down the transformation did not occur. Therefore Avery found that the nucleic acid DNA stores and
In 1953, Dr. Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the structure of the DNA molecule. This is the molecule which we now know stores the genetic information for all life. Many scientists have claimed the discovery to be the single most important development in biology during the 20th century. Watson and Crick's investigation into the nature of the genetic code and the passing of information from generation to generation has redefined the study of genetics. Also, it has basically created the science of molecular biology. For their outstanding work, James Watson and Dr. Francis Crick were awarded the 1962 Nobel Prize.
...f the structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick in 1953 that was extremely influential for future researchers. They determined that DNA was a double helix structure composed of base pairings, with a sugar phosphate backbone. This model explained how “genes can duplicate themselves [and] would eventually lead to our current understanding of many things, from genetic disease to genetic engineering” (Salem).